The invention relates to an apparatus designed to facilitate balance rehabilitation and training. Balance training is major component of rehabilitation programs for numerous disease states because it can improve functional balance, decrease fear of falling, and prevent falls. The vestibular, vision, and proprioception systems are responsible for maintaining upright posture. These systems receive input in response to perturbations in posture (postural sway) during standing and respond continuously with an appropriate motor program to maintain posture. Balance exercise exerts postural challenges to the patient which reinforces learning of the appropriate motor program. Through repeated and ongoing reinforcement of the appropriate motor program, the patient will experience enhanced balance which over time will lead to decreased falls and fear of falling.
Neuroplasticity of the motor program that controls posture requires consistent reinforcement through balance exercises. Consequently, patients are encouraged to perform balance exercises regularly. The common practice for performing balance exercises independent of a therapist is for the patient to start by holding onto a stable surface with both hands and then progressing to holding with one hand, then one finger, and then not holding onto anything. The rationale for encouraging patient not to hold onto anything, despite that fact that it increases fear of falling and fall risk, is to reinforce the appropriate motor program in response to unimpeded postural sway. Patients are encouraged to stand near a structure that can provide support if they lose their balance. Chairs are often used despite the fact that they are not inherently designed to support a standing individual and to prevent falling. It would be advantageous if the patient could hold onto free-floating handles during balance exercise and if these handles could provide stable support when the patient's postural sway becomes too large or they begin to fall. By comparison, conventional stable handles, while providing support, reduce postural sway and decrease the effectiveness of the exercise. The fear of falling for a person who is balanced impaired can be consuming and debilitating and lead to an increased risk of falling. Unless the patient can overcome this fear, balance training is not effective. Devices known in the sports medicine and physical therapy art provide balance training but fail to consider the importance of postural sway. Thus, there is a need for an adaptive balance training apparatus which allows for postural sway while also helping the patient cope with the fear of falling. The apparatus of the invention allows the balance impaired patient to cope with the fear so they can perform the exercises necessary to improve functional balance, decrease fear of falling, and prevent falls.
There have been many approaches to physical training. For example one device is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,396 B2, Jun. 5, 2007. Buechel and Hoobler disclose a portable exercise device for rehabilitation and fitness training specifically for senior adults and individuals recovering from major joint surgery. As stated in the patent, the exercise devise comprises “a frame having a plurality of side members, a horizontal cross bar, a plurality of vertical members attached to a bracket where each vertical member contains a telescoping member of smaller size, a general U-shaped handle attached to the tubes and a plurality of wheels attached to the frame. The invention provides a stable support mechanism for the user but does not disclose that the apparatus is intended for balance exercises.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,497 B2 Aug. 19, 2003—McLeod and Rubin disclose a method to treat postural instability. The method includes standing on a non-rigid platform which vibrates for a predetermined period of time. The platform has a handrail attached for the patient to use for support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,030 Nov. 10, 1992—Tanski discloses a vertical balance bar exercise apparatus for use when performing one leg squat exercise. The vertical bar is stationary [held in place] by an apex shaped structure that is mounted to a wall. The vertical bar has a movable grip that permits axial movement along the vertical bar. The invention provides a movable grip or handle but only allows movement along the vertical bar and is not intended for balance exercise and does not allow for postural sway but only axial movement during the squatting exercise.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,645,221 B1 Jan. 12, 2010—Curry discloses an exercise apparatus which is comprised of a base on which the exerciser stands that is connected to a platform by springs thus creating an unstable base. The apparatus is also comprised of a T-shaped safety handle that connects to the base.